The Cheaper Alternative

When it comes
to operating C-130s and F-16s, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve
Command provide the most bang for a buck. So says a recent RAND Corp. study
cited by Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III, Air National Guard director, in his testimony
before a House Armed Services Committee panel earlier this year. Though the
study was still in draft form, Clarke felt it provided important data to help
emphasize his belief that "investment in the Air Reserve Components of the
Air Force" will help "sustain both capability and capacity in an era
of austerity." He said, too, that in the post-Afghanistan drawdown, personnel
adjustments to the Total Force need to ensure there is a "place for those
leaving active duty to continue to use their skills in service of the nation,"
meaning the Air Guard and Air Force Reserve.